Avatar: Flames of the Past
by Scarlet Grizzly
Summary: For as long as anyone can remember, the world has been at war. Fire Prince Zuko knows he has a duty to his nation, but he is beginning to see that he has a greater responsibility to the entire world. One way or another, he will bring peace to the four nations. AU, Aang wasn't trapped in the ice and the Avatar Cycle continues.
1. The Avatar Cycle

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

 _100 years ago_

"Aang?"

The young Airbender whirled around to see his mentor and guardian. He stepped down from the windowsill where he had been standing. "Gyatso! I -uh- well..."

Aang and Gyatso stared at each other for a long moment before Aang burst into tears. "I'm sorry Gyatso! I heard you and the others talking. About how I was supposed to be sent away from you and-" he stopped, unsure of what to say next.

"You were about to run away, weren't you?"Gyatso spoke gently as he embraced his young student.

"Y-yes." Aang sobbed. Gyatso sighed.

"I know it is difficult, Aang. But this isn't the end, you know. You have a long life ahead of you, and we will see each other again. Besides, you won't be leaving for another week or two."

Aang sniffled and nodded. "Thanks Gyatso."

* * *

 _45 years ago_

"Help!" the terrified little boy screamed as a fireball flew past his head, nearly burning his ear. All around him, the Fire Nation soldiers blasted flames at the villagers. A few were fighting back with bone weapons, but most simply fled from the onslaught.

"Tornuk!" A teenage girl wearing the customary furs of the Water Tribes stepped in front of the little boy and made a wide sweeping gesture with her hands. The ice beneath the Fire Nation soldier melted partially and he fell in up to his waist. Another sweep of her hands froze the water again, trapping the soldier inside. "Run!" The girl commanded.

"She's a waterbender! Get her!" More Fire Nation soldiers ran towards the girl, who once again melted the ice beneath their feet.

"That never gets old." She smirked. "Tornuk, you have to leave. Now!"

"But Hama-" Tornuk hesitated.

"Go!" Hama pointed and Tornuk ran as fast as he could, catching up with the other villagers fleeing. The small collection of igloos and ice buildings were now deserted, save for Hama and the Fire Nation soldiers.

Hama ducked as a fire blast superheated the air above her. Glaring at the soldier who had bent the flames at her, she turned in a circle, bringing a stream of water from the ice around her and thrust her hands towards him. The water slammed into the soldier, sending him flying into an ice brick wall with a sickening crack.

Suddenly, a fireball from behind hit Hama in the square of her back, knocking her down and scorching her clothes. She groaned and got up only to be hit with another blast from another soldier. The firebenders surrounded her now and struck her with fireballs every time she tried to get up. Hama clenched her fists in anger and pain, unwilling to reveal just how much the burns hurt.

Eventually, the firebenders stopped and Hama lay on the ice, her clothes blackened and smoking. A sergeant gestured for the men to tie her up. As soon as one of them touched Hama however, she sprang back up, blasting the soldier's face with water. The waterbender swept her hands to the sides, and large waves of water carried the soldiers away from her.

The sergeant sidestepped a wave and bent a huge blast of fire at the young woman from behind. Hama turned and acting completely on instinct, threw up her hands. Astonishingly, a slab of solid earth erupted from beneath the ice. The fire dissipated harmlessly against the permafrost. Hama stared at the earth in shock. She had just bent earth!

But the other soldiers were getting up now, and had surrounded Hama again. This time, they all sent their flames at once, and the inferno blazed over Hama, seemingly burning her into ashes. But when the fire subsided, she stood there unharmed. The Fire Nation soldiers were readying another round of fire when suddenly the Water Tribe girl's eyes began glowing white.

Hama began rising from the ice on a waterspout and looked down at the firebenders. Some of them began to flee, but a few tried to throw more fire at her. Suddenly, the entire village melted into water, and the Fire Nation soldiers struggled to stay afloat. With a gesture from Hama, the water refroze, sealing all the soldiers within the ice.

Slowly, the waterspout subsided until Hama was standing on the ground. As suddenly as it had started, her eyes stopped glowing, and she fell to the ground, exhausted.

* * *

 _25 years ago_

Long Feng held his breath in the darkness. He strained to hear, but there was nothing but silence. Satisfied that no one else was around, the ten year old boy concentrated until a small flame grew in the palm of his hand, revealing rows of scrolls in front of him. He was in the restricted section of the Ba Sing Se University library, searching for a book on bending.

Long Feng searched through the scrolls carefully, making sure not to let the fire in his hand burn out of control. He didn't want the library going down in flames. Finally, he came across a scroll on advanced firebending. He looked carefully at the inscriptions printed upon the paper, committing them to memory. He desperately wanted to try one of the techniques right then and there, but did not want to risk being found out.

After another hour of searching, Long Feng had discovered several more scrolls on firebending, as well as one for waterbending, but nothing on airbending. He wasn't very surprised. After all, the Air Nomads had been gone for almost seventy-five years. He spent several more hours memorizing the firebending techniques, before placing them back where he had taken them from.

"Hello?" A voice called out suddenly, freezing Long Feng's blood. He quickly extinguished the fire, plunging himself into darkness. Grabbing the waterbending scroll and stuffing it into his shirt, he began climbing up the shelves until he was on top of the high wooden shelves. Below him, he could see the librarian holding a lamp and examining a scroll lying on the floor. Long Feng cursed silently, realizing that he must have knocked it loose on his way up.

The librarian looked around suspiciously, then began climbing up a nearby ladder, presumably to put the scroll back. Long Feng scrambled down the other side of the bookcase and tiptoed away from the librarian. He had been in the library for so long, sunlight was beginning to filter in through the large windows. Once he was out of the building, Long Feng sprinted back to his family's home in the Middle Ring.

The sun was nearly above the horizon when Long Feng vaulted over the wall around his backyard. He breathed a sigh of relief that his parents were still asleep and slipped into his room silently. Bending the earth beneath him, Long Feng pulled up a small wooden chest, placing the waterbending scroll inside. He replaced the chest, vowing to return the scroll once he had memorized it. After all, it would be unfortunate if someone noticed its absence.

* * *

 _4 years ago_

"Leave me alone, Azula!" Zuko shouted at his ten year old sister, who was teasing him. Again.

"Zuzu, you should appreciate your family." Azula smirked. "Especially since Mom ran away-"

"Shut up!" Zuko lost his temper and bent a fiery blast at his sister. Azula neatly sidestepped the flames and sent a fireball of her own in return. Zuko dissipated the flames and quickly began moving in a basic firebending sequence his uncle had taught him.

Azula for her part took a more aggressive stance and immediately shot a series of firebolts at Zuko. His sequence interrupted, Zuko dodged out of the way and opened his mouth to breathe fire when Azula leapt forward and punched him in the left eye with a flaming fist.

"AAAHHHH!" Zuko screamed and fell onto his back, his face smoking. He lay there motionless.

Azula stared at her brother in shock. "Zuko?" She came closer to his body and shook him.

Zuko's right eye snapped open, revealing pure white light. Azula shrieked and fell backwards onto her rear as her brother began to float into the air, eye blazing. He opened his mouth and Azula closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable fire to consume her. It never came.

Azula opened her eyes to see her brother standing over her, his eyes their normal gold again. She noticed that the skin around his left eye was raw and blistered. Azula had a feeling it would scar, and for once actually felt bad that she had hurt Zuko.

"You okay?" Zuko's voice snapped Azula out of her thoughts.

"Y-yeah. Sorry about your face."

Zuko blinked in surprise, wincing at the pain. His sociopath sister was actually apologizing? Maybe he was still knocked out. "I'll be fine. Uncle will probably fix it or something."


	2. The Truth Within

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

"It's no use!" Zuko shouted, and threw the twin blades in his hands aside. Disgusted more with himself than anything else, he began to stalk out of the training room, tossing aside the padded armor he wore for practice.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh, Dragon of the West and the most skilled general in the four Nations, beckoned his nephew over to where he was sitting. "Have some tea." His stern tone allowed for no argument.

Zuko scowled. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to leave, but he knew better than to walk out on his uncle. When it came to tea, the man didn't take no for an argument. And his tea really was good. He went over to Iroh and accepted the proffered cup, sitting on the bench next to him.

"I still can't do it." Zuko growled after he downed the full cup.

"Do what?" Iroh raised an eyebrow.

"Bend blue fire. At least not while using my dao blades at the same time."

"What about it?" Iroh looked at Zuko, who glared back. He sighed. His nephew didn't have a very good sense of humor. He got that from his father. "Kidding. But why must you be able to bend blue fire? What is wrong with red fire? And while we are on the subject, why don't you try green, or pink-"

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted. "That's not funny! You know I'm the Avatar! I should be able to bend fire in all its forms, perfectly!"

"But you can bend blue fire, can you not?" Iroh looked his angry nephew in the eye.

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, but not with my swords."

"And why is that so important? When you fight with your swords, is it not more important that you move as one with the blades, rather than forcing fire that is not even that much hotter than your usual? It is important to focus on the task at hand, rather than to attempt to make things more difficult than they already are."

"I suppose." Zuko poured himself some more tea. "But Azula can do it perfectly with her katana, and I-"

"Can beat her in a sword fight every time." Iroh finished for him. "Is that not the point of learning the way of the blade? And just because you cannot bend blue fire with your dao blades does not make you any less of a firebender, nor does it make you any less of an Avatar."

"Yeah, but not being able to bend any other element does." Zuko mumbled, half to himself. He wasn't expecting his uncle to hear, and it surprised him when the portly man chuckled.

"Prince Zuko. I have found in my lifetime that there is a time and place for all things. What must happen, will happen. It is with your role as Avatar as it is with your firebending. You cannot force it."

"But I'm almost thirteen now, uncle. I've known I was the Avatar for four years now, and I'm no closer to mastering all four elements! People are dying out there! I can end all that and bring peace, true peace, to the world if I win this war for the Fire Nation!" Zuko got up and began to walk out. "What am I telling you this for." He muttered bitterly. "You don't know what it's like. No one does."

Iroh frowned. He hated to see his nephew so helpless, but he knew that were Zuko to master all four elements, the boy would fight to win the war, and be killed. Or worse, if he succeeded, then the balance of the world would truly be lost. _Consequences be damned_. Iroh cleared his throat. "You know, Zuko, that's not strictly true."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko turned around. "There's no one in this world who could understand what I'm going through here."

"Yes, no one in this world." Iroh agreed, his eyes twinkling. "But you know, there are other worlds."

Zuko looked confused, so Iroh pressed on. "Do you remember what I have taught you about the Spirit World, and how I went there once to find your cousin, Lu Ten?"

"I thought that was a story you once told me to get me to sleep." Zuko frowned.

"And so it was. But it was a true story, and I did manage to get to the Spirit World. I did not find my son there, but I am sure what you are looking for will be found there."

* * *

Later that day, Zuko found himself wandering the royal palace. He'd manage to escape his sister and her friends. Even though she was twelve, Ty Lee still tried to put ribbons in his hair. Zuko wondered if he shouldn't cut his hair short so it would be easier to manage.

He found himself in a shrine to Agni. Few people besides the Fire Sages came here on a regular basis, and Zuko personally didn't really believe that the god existed. Even if the deity of fire were real however, he probably couldn't help him. It wasn't fire he needed.

Still, the shrine was full of light, even when the sun had nearly set. It was positioned that way, to be lit by the sun for as long as it was in the sky. The smell of incense hung in the air, reminding Zuko of his uncle's tea. Perhaps there was something true about what Iroh had said earlier.

Zuko sat upon the ground cross legged. Breathing in and out slowly, he tried to clear his mind. But instead of the blank calmness he was expecting, he began to see flashes of lightning, oddly enough. Zuko focused on his breathing again, and gradually, the lightning subsided.

A slight breeze ruffled his hair, and Zuko opened his eyes and gasped. He was suddenly outside, sitting on a grassy hill next to a tree. The sun was shining, and in the distance, he could just make out what looked like huge walls.

"This was my favorite place in the city." A voice tinged with a slight accent spoke from behind Zuko, making him jump up into a firebending stance.

"Who are you?! Where am I?!" Zuko shouted at the person behind him, a boy just a few years older than him with a small beard and his hair pulled back into a queue braid.

"Your bending won't work here, Zuko." The boy held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "You're in the city of Ba Sing Se, or at least, the Spirit World's equivalent of it."

Zuko tried to make a small flame and found that his bending indeed did not work. He forced himself to stay calm. "You still haven't told me who you are."

"Come. Walk with me." The boy turned and began walking down the hill towards the walls in the distance. Zuko sighed and jogged after him.

"Do you know who you are?" The boy asked as they made their way to the base of a massive wall.

"You know who I am."

"But do you?"

"I'm Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation and the Avatar."

"Precisely." The boy smiled. "And what do you know of the Avatar?"

"Um, he's the only one who can master all four elements, he has to learn them in the order of the seasons... It's his job to bring peace to the world... uh... "

"It's ok to say you don't know."

"I don't know."

The boy turned now to face Zuko. They had arrived at the wall. Rather than the smooth brick walls Zuko had expected from pictures of Ba Sing Se he had seen, the wall was made of rough stone, with ivy covering most of the surface. "You are mostly correct. The Avatar is _supposed_ to be master of all four elements, and it is his duty to bring _balance_ to the world. But do you know where the Avatar comes from?"

Zuko turned red. "Uh, well, you see, when a man and a woman-"

"No, not that!" The boy shook his head. "Surely you realize you are not the first Avatar in existence? There have been others, you know."

"Of course I know that!." Zuko grumbled. He felt rather stupid. "But aren't they just random? That's what the Fire Sages told me, that Avatars just happen by chance."

The boy sighed. "Why me?" He mumbled to himself. "So then, why did you say, 'The Avatar'? Surely there must be others, if Avatars just 'happen' like your Fire Sages said."

Zuko said nothing. He had a feeling the other boy was about to lose his temper.

"The truth is, Zuko, Avatars happen in a cycle. When one dies, they are reborn into a new body in another nation. So before you, there was an Avatar from the Earth Kingdom. Before him, was an Avatar from the Water Tribes. Before her, was an Avatar from the Air Nomads, and so forth."

Zuko was stunned. Part of him didn't want to believe it, but somehow, he knew what he had just heard was true. "But-"

"You said it was the Avatar's job to bring peace to the world, right? How did you plan on doing that, Zuko? By fighting alongside the Fire Nation and conquering all other peoples? Helping your Nation to destroy the others like they did with the peaceful Air Nomads?"

"Stop." Zuko began backing away. "You're lying. The Air Nomads were warriors and barbarians. They were building an army to attack us first. Great-grandfather Sozin started the war to end conflict and bring peace to all nations!"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "I would never lie to you, Zuko. I am your guide and predecessor, after all."

Zuko gasped. "You-you were the Avatar before me?"

"Yes. My name is Long Feng, and I was born, raised, and killed in this city." The boy smirked. "Killed by the Fire Nation when your uncle invaded and broke the outer wall."

"I-" Zuko began to stutter.

"Don't believe everything people say to you. Those in the Fire Nation have their own agenda for you. But remember, Zuko. As the Avatar, your duty is to all people, not just your own. Why do you suppose you haven't been able to bend air or any other element?"

"But- I just wanted to end the war." Zuko sat down on a nearby rock. His hands were shaking. "Is that so wrong?"

"No, it isn't." Long Feng said quietly. "But even if you could, it would not bring peace to the world. It's not in the nature of humans to exist perfectly alongside one another. But there must be a balance between the four Nations, and it is the Avatar's duty to protect it."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Zuko kicked at a pebble. "I can only bend fire, and all the Air Nomads are gone. No one from the Water Tribes or Earth Kingdom will teach me, so there's no way to learn the other elements."

"Don't be too sure of that." Long Feng grinned. "Seek out the Grandmaster of the White Lotus. You have to go now, but we'll meet again. I promise."

"Wait!" Zuko shouted but everything disappeared in a white flash, and he fell through nothing into oblivion. "NOOOOO!"


	3. Leaving Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Zuko gasped as he opened his eyes. As his heartbeat settled, he looked around. He was still sitting in Agni's shrine, but the sun was long gone. The moon was high in the sky.

His head was reeling. Everything he'd been taught had just been thrown out a window, and he didn't know where to turn. Of course, Long Feng could be lying, but Zuko knew somehow that everything the boy had told him was the truth. The Fire Nation's war had to be stopped, and he would have to fight his own people if he was to be the Avatar.

"What do I do?" Zuko glared at the statue of Agni that stood over the shrine. "I can't tell anyone about what I've learned just now. Father will kill me." Although the Firelord had never laid a hand on him, Zuko was sure that Ozai would strike him down in an instant if he even suspected disloyalty from his own son. And surely Ozai knew of the truth behind the war already. No, Zuko could not trust his father.

Nor could he ask any of the Fire Sages for more information on the Avatar. They would only tell him that the Avatar was supposed to fight for his nation against the others.

Briefly, Zuko thought about asking his sister and their friends for help, but quickly dismissed the idea. Mai and Ty Lee had been taught Fire Nation doctrine all their lives and he doubted that anything he said would convince them that their nation was in the wrong. And Azula was in line to be the next ruler of the Fire Nation. Although they got along now, he was sure that if he stood in the way of her path to power, she would turn against him.

"I can't trust anyone." Zuko sighed. He got up, his mind racing. On a whim, he reached up to the gold headdress that adorned his topknot and took it off. He made to throw it away but then someone spoke, freezing his blood.

"It is quite late, Prince Zuko. You should be sleeping." Iroh was standing in the entrance to the shrine, holding a lantern. Zuko sighed in relief. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of his uncle?

"Uncle, I need to ask you something."

"Anything, my boy."

"What do you know of Long Feng?"

Iroh actually took a step back in shock, nearly dropping the lantern in his hand. He looked around quickly, then darted forward, grabbing Zuko by the arm. "Not here!"

Iroh pulled Zuko along until they came to the old general's private quarters. Iroh set about making the usual cup of tea, although Zuko noticed his hands shaking. And yet, when his uncle spoke, his voice was firm and controlled. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I was meditating in Agni's shrine, when I went to the Spirit World by accident. I found myself in Ba Sing Se, only the walls were made of stone and covered in ivy. There was a boy with a queue braid and a small beard, a little older than me. He said that was his name, Long Feng."

"Hmm. Continue." Iroh finished making the tea and gave his nephew a cup, listening as the boy told him of what had happened in his journey to the Spirit World. When he was finished, Iroh scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"Zuko... You have a choice right now. You can forget all of this and we will move on. If you do so, I can assure you that you will have a happy life in the Fire Nation. Or, I can tell you the truth. It will not be pleasant, and you will likely end up against everyone you know and love."

Zuko carefully set his cup down. "I think it's too late for me now, Uncle. I need to hear the truth."

Iroh bowed his head. "Very well. What Long Feng told you is the truth. All of it. The Fire Nation did attack the peaceful Air Nomads and slaughtered them in an act of aggression."

Zuko drew in a shocked breath, but Iroh wasn't finished.

"The Avatar was indeed reborn into the other nations before you were born, and they all died fighting the Fire Nation. Your great-grandfather Sozin began the war because he wanted to spread his power over the whole world, and his son and grandson continued the war knowing this. We didn't do this to spread worldwide stability, no matter what the history books say. It was all for power, and nothing else."

By the time Iroh stopped speaking, Zuko was visibly shaking. How could he face his father after this? Did Azula know? One thing was for sure. He could no longer stay in a house of lies. "U-Uncle, I have to go."

"And where do you plan on going, Prince Zuko?" Iroh understood full well what his nephew was feeling. He himself had felt that way when he had discovered the truth. It was why he had never fought for his place on the throne.

"I-I don't know." Zuko admitted. "But just before I came back, Long Feng told me to find someone. Someone called the Grandmaster of the White Lotus. That sounds like a good place to start as any."

To his surprise, Iroh let out a bark of laughter. "Well, you are in luck! I know the Grandmaster very well, and I can take you to him."

For the first time since he'd met Long Feng, Zuko felt a glimmer of hope. "Really? I mean, thank you Uncle, but wouldn't you rather stay here? I don't want to force you into joining me."

"Nonsense! It's been too long since I went out! I have some old friends I've been meaning to visit, and I can make tea anywhere!"

Zuko had to smile at that last one. No matter what, it always came back to tea with his uncle. "Thank you Uncle."

"Don't thank me yet, Zuko. We have a long journey ahead of us."

* * *

Zuko held his breath as he waited for his father to reply. The flames around the Firelord's throne seemed to grow until they threatened to engulf the whole room.

"Hmph." The Firelord snorted suddenly. "My coffee is cold."

Zuko wisely decided not to point out that he could just heat it himself.

"Very well." Ozai said after another minute or two. "You may go on your expedition to learn more about bending the other elements. Have Iroh commission a ship for you. Nothing too large, mind you. Perhaps the _Salamander_."

"Thank you father." Zuko said quickly, hoping to leave quickly.

"Prince Zuko." The Firelord said sternly. "I trust that you will not lose sight of your duty to our nation while on this little excursion of yours."

Zuko nearly glared at his father before he caught himself. "I know where my loyalties lie." Technically, he wasn't lying.

"Good." Ozai swept his hand dramatically, quelling the flames. He stepped down from the throne and stood in front of Zuko. "Be safe, son."

Zuko felt like gagging at the man's clearly false concern. "I will." He managed through gritted teeth.

"Very well." Ozai nodded. "You may go."

Zuko tried not to run out of the throne room. No need to show how eager he was to leave. Outside, his uncle was waiting for him.

"Well?" The older man grinned.

"We can go." Zuko was smiling as well. "He's given us the _Salamander_."

"Great. I'll go find a crew, you go and pack what you need." Iroh nodded and went off to get their transportation ready, while Zuko went to his quarters.

When he arrived there however, he was surprised to see his sister. "Azula. What are you doing here?"

The Crown Princess smirked. "Oh come on, Zuzu. At least pretend like you're happy to see me."

"I see you every day at mealtimes." Zuko deadpanned. "Isn't that enough for you?" He'd learned by now that nothing annoyed his sister more than when he didn't react to that stupid nickname. He turned aside and began packing his belongings.

Azula pouted. "So what's this I hear about you leaving?"

"Uncle and I are going to find out ways I can learn to bend the other elements. There's not much else I can learn here." There wasn't much he needed besides his swords and a couple sets of clothes. On a whim, he took the blue mask he'd gotten as a present from his cousin, Lu Ten, several years ago.

"You haven't even finished learning firebending, moron!" Azula laughed. "And how are you gonna learn air? There's no one left alive who can teach you, stupid."

"Technically, I am a master firebender, you know that. Besides, Uncle can train me." Zuko considered throwing something at his sister, but then her words registered. "And who said I'll be learning from someone alive?"

"What?" Azula looked nonplussed. "Actually, don't tell me. I've got better things to do than listen to your crazy talk. See ya."

"Love you too sis." Zuko snorted.


	4. Pai Sho and Strategy

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Zuko breathed in the salty air of the sea as the _Salamander_ sliced through the waves, the shores of the Fire Nation receding rapidly in the distance. Even though he was a firebender, Zuko did quite enjoy the ocean. He supposed it was because it reminded him of his favorite memories at the beach, when his mother was still around, before Azula became mean, and Ozai wasn't so distant.

Come to think of it though, Zuko wasn't sure Ozai had ever been anything but cold and aloof. Azula had mentioned to him once that their father had tried to toss Zuko over the palace walls when he was born, and Zuko had more reason than ever to believe that now.

"Nephew! Come play Pai Sho with me!" Iroh called from the other side of the deck. Zuko groaned. He wasn't terrible at the game, having learned it at an early age. Unfortunately, that also meant that he was the only other person on the ship who stood a fighting chance against his uncle, who took every opportunity to exercise his own extensive skill in the game.

Zuko sat on the deck facing his uncle, the Pai Sho game board between them. Iroh had already set up the tiles. "Me first." The older man smiled and moved a tile.

The Prince of the Fire Nation idly scratched his nose as he pushed a random tile across the board. Iroh made a noise of disappointment and flipped his own tile to a new position. As the game went on, members of the crew gathered around to watch the two play. Iroh seemed to be unaffected, while Zuko was mentally screaming. It should be noted that Zuko did not do well in Pai Sho when under pressure. _NOOO! Why did I move that tile there?! Now Uncle will capture it! But why hasn't he taken any tiles? Why are all these guys crowding around?! Do they have nothing better to do than watch Uncle kick my a-_

"Ha!" Iroh chuckled with satisfaction as he flipped a his tile into place. Zuko looked down at the board and wondered why the tiles were in the shape of a flower. The assembled crew cheered at what looked like a masterful strategy.

"Remember this strategy, Zuko. It will serve you well in the future." Iroh grinned. Then, pulling a second Pai Sho board out of seemingly thin air, he announced, "Now, let's see if I can beat two of you at the same time!"

The members of the crew cheered as their senior officer, Lieutenant Jee, stepped forward, and several even started placing bets. Zuko groaned, resigning himself to more humiliation.

Iroh allowed Zuko to make the first move this time, as he had lost the previous match. Jee, as the newcomer, went after Iroh. Zuko focused all his attention on the board. This time, his uncle was facing two opponents, and his concentration would be divided, so Zuko would have more of a chance to win. Nearly an hour passed before the young prince finally placed the final tile in the right place to win.

"Congratulations, Prince Zuko." Iroh smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You have just beaten Lieutenant Jee."

"What?!" Nearly everyone gathered around, including Jee and Zuko, shouted at once. Iroh burst into laughter as his two opponents noticed that the Pai Sho boards looked identical, right down to the tiles.

"Son of a-" Jee groaned. "You turned our moves against us. That was a sly trick, General."

"But an effective one, nonetheless." Iroh inclined his head humbly.

Zuko excused himself and went off to the kitchens in search of something to eat. He found a packet of sizzle-crisps and then headed to the bridge. Munching on the spicy chips, he stared at the map.

"So, where shall we go, Prince Zuko?" Zuko hadn't heard his uncle enter the room.

"To wherever the Grandmaster of the White Lotus is." Zuko replied. "You know where he is, right?"

"Nope." Iroh sipped at his tea.

"But-" Zuko's temper, and the air around him, began to heat up.

"I said that I know the Grandmaster very well, and that I could take you to him." Iroh interrupted. "The Grandmaster travels around, but I know where to find him."

"Oh." Zuko felt rather foolish. "That was very sneaky of you, what you did earlier."

"Turning your moves against Jee?" Iroh chuckled. "Yes, it was. I find that trick works well against Pai Sho players from the Fire Nation. Despite our faults as a people, we are very honest, and do not think that danger should come from anywhere but head-on."

As fire was the source of light and warmth, the Sun Warriors had long valued truth and passion, and it was a great sin in the old religion to hide either. And although no one really worshipped Agni anymore, the descendants of the ancient civilization still considered it an integral part of their culture to speak the truth and wear one's heart on their sleeve.

"Shine the eternal flame upon all, so that nothing may be hidden." Zuko quoted an old poem his mother had once read to him. "But we don't always shine that light, do we Uncle?"

Iroh shook his head wearily. "No, we do not, although your forefathers would insist it is a necessity born of battle."

"What do you mean?" Zuko had a feeling his uncle was setting him up for another lesson. Not that he minded; Iroh had a way of teaching that actually made Zuko want to learn, as opposed to the rote memorization his tutors had insisted upon.

"I know you have studied Earth Kingdom stratagems Prince Zuko, but how much do you know of the Water Tribes?" Iroh set aside his tea.

"Not much." Zuko admitted. There had been little on the tactics used by the fearsome Wolf-warriors of the Water Tribes, such was their ferocity that very few faced them and survived to tell the tale. "All the scrolls in the library only said they were barbaric and extremely fierce."

"And?" Iroh raised his eyebrows.

"Well..." Zuko chewed on a sizzle-crisp. "I believe the extremely fierce part. But barbaric? Not so much. I feel like whoever wrote that scroll might have been a little..."

"Biased?" Iroh finished. "Yes, the man who wrote those texts was not a warrior, and did not pay much attention to details. But they are fierce indeed, as evidenced by their ability to withstand attacks from the Fire Navy for many decades.

"Understand this, Prince Zuko. While fire is the element of power and aggression, water is the element of peace and tranquility. With even the smallest of flames, you are always aware that you can be burned, but the danger of water lies in its unpredictability. The ocean now is calm, but in the blink of an eye, it can become deadly in a storm."

"So, the key to waterbending is deception?"

"Yes. It is a way of fighting that firebenders are ill-equipped to counter, which is why so few have faced a Wolf Warrior and lived. When a firebender would defend themselves with by dissipating the attack, a waterbender would allow their defense to take the attack, let it flow around them, and direct it back at their opponent."

"So you used a Water Tribe to turn my attacks against Jee and his attacks against me!" Zuko understood. "But where did you learn that?"

Iroh smiled. "That, is a tale for another day. Now, we must make for the Myahar Mountains. I believe the key to finding the Grandmaster will be there."


	5. Mt Chomolungma

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Scrolls, Zuko decided, had a way of understating things. The Myahar Mountains formed the western coastline of the Earth Kingdom continent, an impassable barrier that required the Fire Nation to sail far to the north or south around them, for they were the tallest mountains in the world. The highest peak, Mt. Chomolungma, was said to reach past the heavens themselves and into space.

Craning his neck to look up at the mountain, which disappeared behind the clouds, Zuko believed it was probably true.

"An impressive sight, is it not?" Iroh chuckled. He had visited the Myahar Mountains several times in his lifetime, but even then it was still awe-inspiring.

"Yeah." Zuko breathed.

"Well, prepare yourself for a long journey, Nephew, because we are going to the top of Mt. Chomolungma!" Iroh smacked his nephew's back and walked away guffawing loudly.

"WHAT?!" Zuko's jaw hit the deck. Surely his uncle was not serious. No one had ever been to the top of Mt. Chomolungma, and consequently, no one knew what was up there. There might be no air at all, or evil spirits if they were unlucky. Zuko hurried after his uncle to object to what could possibly be a foolishly fatal venture.

* * *

Several hours later, and many, many, many miles of climbing later, Zuko collapsed onto the mountainside, wheezing for breath. He wanted to cry for joy when his uncle announced that they would camp there for the night, but he was just too tired. Zuko was extremely fit physically, but hiking up a mountain for nearly a full day with little time for rest was a tad bit more than what he was used to.

Iroh, on the other hand, was not even breathing hard. "Prince Zuko, there are many kinds of fire." He began, "There is the raging fire that burns brightly and dies just as quickly, but there is also the cool fire that glows dimly and lasts for much longer."

"Uncle, can we please save the lectures for another time and let me suffer in peace?" Zuko groaned. His entire body was in agony. Muscles he'd never known he had were aching and the Prince of the Fire Nation felt like an old man twice his uncle's age. To make matters worse, at the altitude they were at, the climate was much cooler and the icy wind was painfully cold to his sweaty body. The trees and ground around them were covered in snow. Zuko shivered. Like all firebenders, he hated the cold.

"You know, the airbenders could warm the air around them with only their breaths." Iroh set about making a campfire, his breath misting in the cool air. "That's how they managed to stay warm while they flew above the world on their flying bison."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zuko grumbled as he set up the small tent he would be sleeping in.

"Firebenders have a similar technique, which is rarely used since we don't venture into cold climates very often."

"I wonder why?" Zuko muttered. "How does it work?"

"Breathe in slowly through your nose while constricting the back of your throat. Try not to breathe with your lungs but your stomach. Hold the breath for three seconds, then exhale through the mouth as though you are breathing fire but without the flames. I find it helps if you make a _h_ _aaaah_ noise while you do it."

Zuko felt rather silly doing so, but followed his uncle's instructions. The old man usually had good advice. He was unsurprised to see his exhalations produce a large amount of condensation and feel his body heat up rapidly. A thought struck him. "Uncle, would this help if I were say, stuck in an iceberg?"

"I suppose it could keep you warm." Iroh thought about it. "But if you wanted to get out I think breathing actual fire onto the ice would be more expedient. Also, you are the Avatar, so you could probably bend the ice into water and get out that way."

"Oh." Zuko felt his face heat up, but was pretty sure that had nothing to do with the cold. "Right."

* * *

Zuko was woken up in the middle of the night by a falling sensation. This was hardly unusual, as he occasionally had dreams where he was falling. What was unusual was that the sensation did not stop when he woke up.

"AAAAAHHHH-OOF!" Zuko's shout was cut off when the tent he'd been sleeping in struck the ground and collapsed into a mass of canvas. He could hear faint voices outside, and his blood boiled. Zuko leapt free of the constricting cloth and ignited his fists.

His heart sank. The camp was surrounded by about fifteen figures in grey-white clothing and masks holding small round shields and strange swords with holes bored into the blades. The majority also had what looked like spears or pikes slung over their shoulders. There was little chance that he'd be able to fight them all off by himself. Zuko mentally berated himself for allowing his uncle to let the crew stay behind on the ship.

Wait, his uncle! Where was Iroh?! "Uncle!" Zuko shouted frantically, throwing several fireballs at the closest attackers and looked around wildly for the older man. "What have you done with my uncle?!"

The attacker closest to Zuko moved faster than he thought was humanly possible, catching all the fires on his small shield, then swung upward with his sword. The very air rippled and an invisible force struck Zuko, sending him flying backwards into a tree. Zuko staggered forward, his temper surging. His fire grew brighter, from red to a fierce blue. "I SAID, WHERE IS MY UNCLE?!"

The figure that had attacked Zuko made a gesture to his compatriots. As one, they all sheathed their weapons and shields. Then, to Zuko's surprise, they began moving together slowly in a circle around him. They quickly sped up until he could no longer see individuals but a blur of grayish white that blended in with the snow. The wind picked up until it howled, tearing at his clothes and hair, and extinguishing his fire.

Zuko growled angrily and tried to bend fire at the circle, but to his shock, he could not produce even a spark. He drew in a shocked breath, but the air was suddenly too thin to breathe. Zuko gasped for breath, but it was all gone, sucked away into the vortex. He couldn't even make a noise. Black spots swam in front of his vision, and Zuko felt lightheaded, his limbs moving slowly as if they were underwater. Darkness overcame his sight entirely and Zuko fell into unconsciousness. His last thought before he went under was that the attackers seemed to have bent air, but that wasn't possible. The Air Nomads were all gone.

* * *

When Zuko came to, he was lying on a cold stone floor. His head was pounding, and his back was aching where it had impacted with the tree. Fighting through the pain, Zuko struggled to his feet. He was in a circular stone pit, about twenty feet deep. The walls were completely smooth, and slightly coated with ice. Zuko looked up at the opening of the pit far above him, an idea forming in his head.

The firebender stepped back from the wall, then sprinted towards it. Kicking off from the wall, Zuko leapt high into the air. At the apex of his ascent, he channeled all his chi, and propelled himself upward several feet with his fire. He couldn't manage a sustained burn with great intensity, but it was enough for him to get to the opposite wall and kick off from that. He repeated this several more times until he leapt out of the pit and into a cave.

Incredibly, there was no one there. Perhaps they hadn't expected him to escape so easily, Zuko thought. He looked around until he saw a way out of the cave and headed toward it. He had no idea where he was, but he needed to find out what had happened to his uncle and get out of this place.

Lost in his thoughts, Zuko almost failed to notice that the rough stone had been replaced by a smooth wall painted with incredible images. He noticed an image of an immense creature with six legs and horns. It was white, except for a brown arrow that traveled down its forehead. Zuko recognized it as an extinct flying bison, the animals that Air Nomads used to travel the world with.

Traveling further down the corridor, he saw more images of the Air Nomads. There were people with blue stripes upon shaved heads, with two dots on the sides instead of the arrow he'd learned Air Nomads tattooed upon themselves. Zuko noted with interest a solitary figure with dark hair wearing a red scarf. Perhaps it was imagination, but the figure's eyes seemed to gleam with an invisible light. Further down the hallway, Zuko found pictures of airbenders with the more recognizable blue arrows on their heads wearing orange and yellow robes.

After several feet however, the rather peaceful images of the airbenders were replaced by painted flames and Fire Nation soldiers. In the background, an impressive building at the peak of a mountain burned. Zuko felt rather sick looking at the Air Nomad Genocide instigated by his own people. He realized that the entire wall was a history of the Air Nomads.

The paintings did not stop with the Fire Nation's attack, however. Zuko's eyes widened as he took in images of the grey-white garbed figures that had attacked him earlier. These figures did not wear masks however, and they bore the tattoo of the Air Nomads, though they carried weapons the pacifist Nomads would never have used.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A deep voice startled Zuko and he instinctively bent a fireball at the sound. The speaker, a tall man with a short beard, waved his hand and a sphere of air wrapped around the flame, extinguishing it. He raised a single eyebrow, as if in question. Zuko noticed that his robes, which were the same grey-white color as the attackers' were considerably longer and seemed to ripple though there was no wind.

Zuko noted the tattoo on the man's forehead. "You're an airbender." He breathed in wonder.

The man bowed his head gravely. "Yes. I am Tenzin, head of the High Council. Come, Avatar Zuko, your uncle is waiting."

* * *

 **A/N: The breathing technique Iroh teaches Zuko is based off of yoga techniques, but I have no idea if it works or not. Please do not try to substitute the breathing technique for more conventional ways of keeping warm unless you are a firebender or an airbender; you will likely catch a cold.**

 **Yes, that is the same Tenzin from Legend of Korra, just in a much different time and place. I imagined his robes to be the same as they are in LOK, just in a different color. And if you're wondering about what is different with these new** **airbenders (Why are they carrying weapons? Why are their clothes different colored? How are there any airbenders?), that's for later chapters.**


	6. Attack of the Pies

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Zuko followed Tenzin down the hallway until they came into a vast cavern. At least, he thought it was a cavern. The walls were solid rock, but the ceiling stretched so far above him it vanished into darkness. And yet, Zuko supposed there had to be a ceiling, for there were smooth stone pillars dotting the cavern that stretched upward. All around him, Zuko noticed numerous hallways leading away, much like the one they had just come from.

"Impressive, is it not?" Tenzin noticed Zuko staring upward. "This central hall was carved out by Avatar Aang himself, a hundred years ago."

"Whoa..." Zuko had a strange mental image of a much older version of Tenzin hammering at the rock walls with a comically huge hammer and chisel. He shook himself out of it. More likely, Aang had used earthbending to make the cavern.

The cavern was so wide and huge that it took Zuko and Tenzin, both of whom were quick walkers, almost ten minutes to cross to the other side. They stopped before an incredibly tall set of double doors with an odd set of pipes set into them.

"Stand back." Tenzin ordered Zuko. The young firebender took a few steps back as the monk began airbending. Wind rushed past him and straight into the pipes, which began whistling and turning. Slowly, the doors began to creak inwards, until they were completely open. "Only a master airbender would be able to open that door." Tenzin remarked. "Come along now."

The room they entered was much smaller than the central hall, but no less impressive. The floor was patterned with intricate spirals, and massive pillars held up huge arches. All around them, the walls were painted with intricate murals, a more detailed version of the hallway he'd been in earlier. Only these, Zuko realized, were a history of the entire world. He was so busy marveling at the sights that he didn't notice the familiar figure waiting for them until he bumped into him.

"Uncle!"

"Ah, Zuko. I'm glad to see you passed the test." Iroh grinned. He fell into step next to Zuko and they continued walking.

"The test?"

"Yes, the test." Tenzin replied from Zuko's other side. "If you had failed, you would still be sitting in the bottom of that hole."

"What was I being tested on?" Zuko was confused. His uncle and the airbender seemed to be working together, and Iroh looked refreshed, as though he was a guest rather than a captive.

The two men shared a look. "All will become clear in time." Iroh said after a moment.

The trio suddenly stopped, and Zuko saw why. The end of the room fell away into a seemingly bottomless chasm. Suspended from cables, a platform with five simple chairs hung above the void. Four of the seats were occupied by older men and women dressed identically to Tenzin. The fifth, central chair was unoccupied.

Tenzin stepped forward and took a gigantic leap, going further than Zuko was sure was humanly possible. Even so, he reached the apex of his jump about halfway to the platform. Just as he began to fall, the airbender spun like a top, and flew the rest of the way to his seat.

Tenzin sat down and spoke. "Grandmaster of the White Lotus. You and Avatar Zuko have traveled far from your home. For what purpose have you sought out our secret sanctuary?"

Zuko stared as his uncle replied. "High Councilman Tenzin. The Avatar has come to fulfill his destiny and learn the secrets of airbending."

Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tenzin had just addressed his uncle, famed war general of the Fire Nation and tea lover, as the Grandmaster of the White Lotus! And his uncle had responded! He opened his mouth to speak, but Iroh gave him a look telling him to shut up. He used that fairly often when Ozai was around.

The five airbenders on the platform shared a look, then nodded as one. Tenzin spoke again. "Very well. Avatar Zuko may-" What exactly Tenzin had been about to say, Zuko never heard, because five brightly colored pies flew up from the chasm and splattered all over the High Council.

Tenzin's face reddened and steam started rising from the man's ears, while Iroh merely peered over the edge of the chasm. Zuko swore he heard laughter from the emptiness below.

"RRRROOOOHHHHAAAANNNN!" Tenzin bellowed furiously into the void, bits of pie dripping from his beard. The noise echoed several times.

Iroh stepped back from the edge suddenly, and a boy wearing gray-white robes erupted out of the chasm on what appeared to be a ball of rapidly spinning air. He whooped loudly and came to a halt next to Zuko. "Hi, I'm Rohan, what's up?"

"Zuko." The Avatar shook Rohan's hand. The airbender boy was about the same age as him, maybe a year younger. Unlike the five older men on the platform, Rohan had no arrow on his head. In fact, he had a full head of shaggy brown hair.

"Rohan!" Tenzin yelled. The poor man looked absolutely furious, with pie fragments staining his robes. Zuko stifled laughter. "How many times do I have to tell you-"

"It was Meelo's idea." Rohan interrupted.

"Was not!" Another voice yelled from below. There was a pause, followed by, "Oops."

Tenzin slumped in his seat, looking very, very tired. The woman sitting on his right wiped some pie off her forehead and cleared her throat. "Perhaps we should continue. As Tenzin was saying, Avatar Zuko may meet with the airbender masters tomorrow and seek out his teacher."

"Thank you." Zuko bowed as respectfully as he could, trying very hard now not to laugh at the pie-covered council.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I know Zuko said he was almost fifteen earlier, but that was a typo, he's only about thirteen years old. I've fixed it. Also, updates across all my stories will likely slow down. I'm sorry, but I have school to worry about as well as other things. That's not to say I'll be neglecting my existing projects though.**

 **As of the moment when I am writing this, I have six stories. Two, MCU High and The Brave and the Bold, are primarily series of one-shots and will likely see very sporadic updating. Avatar: Flames of the Past, The Oliver Saga, SAO Eternal, and The Return of the Lost One are the ones that you can expect regular updates every 2-3 weeks or so from now on.**

 **Now the reason updating will slow is because I will be launching several new stories by October. The first will be a Legend of Korra fanfic set in an AU like Flames of the Past that I've been planning for some time. It's not a sequel to Flames of the Past, however. The second will be a Harry Potter fanfic about a certain Gryffindor pairing... Can't give too much away. Anyways, those are just the** **primary two I am planning; there will be other works as well. In fact, if you have any ideas for a story you want me to write, send me a request, and I'll get back to you.**

 **The other reason is that I will now be accepting beta requests. Hopefully this won't take up as much time as I am anticipating, but you never know. So yeah, if you need a beta reader, I may be able to help.**

 **Thanks to all that read my stuff, favorite it, leave reviews, etc. Flames of the Past is actually my most popular work, which is kinda surprising, but I'm glad all y'all like it. Keep the reviews coming, your input is greatly appreciated, even criticism!**


	7. The Order of Secrets

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

"Why did you lie to me, uncle?" Zuko asked as soon as he and Iroh arrived in the quarters the airbenders had prepared for them.

"I told you that I knew the Grandmaster well, and that I could take you to him." Iroh said calmly, preparing the usual pot of tea. "I was not lying to you."

"You said that you didn't know where the Grandmaster of the White Lotus was!" Zuko shouted, smoke beginning to rise from his head.

"When I said that, we were at sea." Iroh responded in the same infuriatingly calm tone. "I am no expert in naval navigation, so what I told you was the truth."

"You still deceived me." Zuko seethed. "Uncle, you're the only person I can trust! Don't take that away from me too."

Finally, Iroh nodded. "I do owe you an apology my nephew. I should not have abused your trust so."

"No more secrets." Zuko said firmly. "Now, what is the White Lotus, and how are there any airbenders left?"

Iroh motioned for Zuko to sit and handed him a cup of tea. To Zuko's surprise, the older man took out a folding Pai Sho board.

"Uncle, I don't want to play-"

"Do you remember the strategy I showed you back on the _Salamander_?" Iroh interrupted, laying out the tiles in the shape of a flower.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zuko felt his temper rise again, and his tea began steaming.

"Pai Sho is the oldest game in the world." Iroh answered. "Its roots stretch back to dawn of time, and people of all over the world play it. Long before the war our forefathers started, the best Pai Sho players in the world would gather together to match wits in the game. Over time, they formed an exclusive club, called the Order of the White Lotus, which brought together members from all four nations. Ideas began to be exchanged, and soon the Order became something that transcended borders and elements."

"So you're the head of a secret organization made up of people from all four nations?" Zuko asked.

"Essentially, yes." Iroh nodded. "But while the Order of the White Lotus was originally created to play Pai Sho, it soon took on a greater mission, to foster peace and understanding between the nations, and aid the Avatar in maintaining balance between the elements."

"So wouldn't the Order be working against the Fire Nation then?" Zuko asked. "Is that why I've never heard of it?"

"The existence of the Order is a well kept secret around the world, not only within the Fire Nation's borders." Iroh shook his head. "To most people, the idea of a group of powerful individuals working in secret to ensure things work according to a hidden agenda is a frightening prospect. Some, like your father, might even consider its activities treasonous, and seek to stamp out the Order."

Zuko sat in his seat thinking. "And the airbenders? I thought they were all gone, and Long Feng said they were peaceful, but they attacked us at our camp."

"The Air Nomads were indeed a peaceful race, before the Fire Nation attacked them." Iroh sipped his tea. "But our effort to wipe them out was not a successful one. Firelord Sozin attacked the Air Nomads during their autumn equinox festival, the one day of the year when they were all gathered in the Eastern Air Temple, but forgot one important thing."

"And what was that?" Zuko leaned forward unconsciously, eager to hear more of the story.

"The Avatar." Iroh smiled. "By that time, Avatar Aang was only sixteen years old, but he had already mastered water and earth, and nearly completed his training in fire. He was with his people for the festival, and had been warned by his predecessor, Roku, of Sozin's intentions...

* * *

"Everyone, get out of here!" Aang shouted as fire rained down from the sky. He swept his staff in a wide arc and the flaming projectiles were knocked asunder, smashing into the mountainsides. Far below, Aang could see Fire Nation ballistae, and what appeared to be giant metal caterpillars crawling up the mountain. The Fire Nation soldiers had been driven out of the temple, but they were returning, and in greater numbers.

"Gyatso! Take the younglings and get to the safe house!" Aang roared, magnifying his voice a hundredfold. The incredible sound shook the very earth beneath his feet, and a small avalanche broke free from the mountain and rained down on the Fire Nation soldiers below. Their cries of pain reached Aang's ears, and he winced, hoping that no one had been too hurt. He wasn't trying to kill anyone today, just giving the other airbenders time to escape.

The Fire Nation's siege had taken the Air Nomads by surprise, killing many of them within the first few minutes. Aang and Gyatso had made a plan to bring the other Air Nomads to the abandoned monastery at the top of Mt. Chomolungma in the event of such an attack, but it would all depend on Aang's ability to hold off the Fire Nation.

Aang swept his staff again, knocking more projectiles out of the air. He frowned as he saw three of them fly much higher than the others. They would likely overshoot and miss the temple entirely, unless that wasn't what they had been aiming at in the first place. The Avatar's eyes widened as he realized the fireballs were headed for a flock of air bison, carrying the other airbenders!

"No!" Aang's eyes flashed blindingly white briefly, and he reached out with all his powers. The air began howling as the Avatar's will compelled it to move, and the winds pulled violently at Aang's short beard and flowing robes. Aang shot up from the ground, propelled by immense airpower, and flew after the fireball.

Gyatso, who was bringing up the rear end of the fleeing Air Nomads, urged his air bison, Ummi, to move faster. Behind him, the younglings huddled together in Ummi's saddle. He heard one of them shout his name and turned around. To his shock, several immense balls of flame was approaching Ummi and the other air bison.

Suddenly, the furthest projectile exploded into a shower of harmless sparks as Aang burst through it. The Avatar streaked through the air like a comet, shattering fireballs as he went. Still, even he was not fast enough, and the largest projectile loomed closer and closer to Ummi.

"Dive, Ummi, dive!" Gyatso shouted and bent a strong blast of wind at the fireball. Unfortunately, the projectile was far too large for Gyatso's airbending to do any good. He quickly considered his options. Aang would not arrive to save them in time, and the fireball would likely hit not only Ummi but other air bison as well.

"Jinju, take the reins!" Gyatso ordered the oldest of the children in the saddle, and leapt off Ummi. The old man twirled lightly in the air, his long robes billowing around him as he hung in empty space without falling. Gyatso moved his hands and feet in circular motions, bending the air to his will.

The air swirled and wrapped around the immense fireball, cocooning it in a vacuum and stopping it in midair. Slowly but surely, the flames shrank and eventually vanished, and Gyatso released his control over the winds. Exhausted, the old monk began to fall but was caught by Aang on his glider.

The Avatar deposited his mentor onto Ummi's saddle and turned back to see the Eastern Air Temple in flames. He bowed his head. Although over half of the Air Nomads had managed to escape, many more had perished in the attack, including kind Sister Iio and wise Monk Pasang. Aang remained silent for a few more minutes, then turned around and launched himself into the air on his glider.

"Everyone follow me!" Aang shouted, flying to the front of the air bison flock. "We have to get to safety!"

* * *

"Avatar Aang led the remaining airbenders to the monastery at the top of Mt. Chomolungma, and carved out the extensive tunnels beneath the monastery into their new home, where they have lived in secret for a century, waiting until they can return to the world below."

"But make no mistake, these airbenders are not the same as their ancestors. Even the peaceful Air Nomads could be formidable opponents when they so chose, and they did not train in the arts of war."

"And these people do?" Zuko asked with raised eyebrows.

Iroh poured himself yet another cup of tea. "Yes. After their last experience with war, the airbenders began to create new forms of airbending, ones meant for battle. Now, get some rest. You will learn soon just why they are now called the Air Warriors."


	8. The Meeting of the Spirits

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Zuko woke up the next morning to the smell of fruit. And the taste of fruit. And the texture of fruit.

"Bleargh!" He jumped to his feet and swiped at his face, which was covered in a raspberry-apple pie.

"Wakey-wakey!" Rohan laughed loudly. "You've got a long day ahead of you, Zuko, you're gonna need breakfast."

"Breakfast doesn't do me much good when it's smeared all over me." Zuko sighed. He noticed a basin of water nearby and began wiping the mess of fruit pastry from his face. The water was ice cold, and Zuko shivered. Concentrating, he gently bent heat from his hands until the water was steaming.

"Oh, that's okay. I've brought more." Rohan held out another raspberry-apple pie.

Zuko quickly accepted the pie before the younger boy could hit him in the face with that as well. "Thank you." He took a cautious bite of the pie. "Mm! This is really good!" Indeed, the pie was among one of the best things Zuko had tasted, the crust being light and flaky, while the fruity filling was not too sweet, almost tart.

"Really?" Rohan looked surprised. "Ikki says that I'm terrible at baking, though that might be because I keep throwing my pies at people."

"You made this?" Zuko raised his eyebrows. "That's pretty cool. I don't know how to cook or bake."

"Yup!" Rohan grinned. "All Air Warriors are taught to bake."

Zuko digested the oddity of that sentence. A long lost race of benders who were all fearsome warriors, being taught to bake light and fluffy pies. "Do I have to learn how to bake as well?"

"Maybe?" Rohan shrugged. "I guess it'll depend on your teacher. Speaking of which, you're supposed to meet the masters today and choose who will teach you airbending."

Zuko swallowed the last of his pie. "Yeah, my uncle told me." He paused as he realized he hadn't seen Iroh at all that morning. "Hey, do you know where he went?"

"He's meeting with the council, I heard." Rohan scratched at his head. "Dunno how long that'll take though."

"Oh." Zuko frowned. Iroh was probably discussing some secret White Lotus business with Tenzin and the rest of the High Council. "So how do I choose a teacher?"

Rohan scratched his head. "Well, normally a master will take on a student to be their apprentice, but since you're the Avatar, you choose your master. The only masters who don't have apprentices already are Saanu, and Quan, so you'd likely be learning from one of them."

"Those are the only ones? How many masters are there?" Zuko was shocked. Although the Air Nomads had been the smallest of the four nations even before the Fire Nation attacked, he wasn't expecting there to be so few.

"There are about a hundred altogether, but most already have apprentices, and the rest are either traveling or don't teach. The members of the High Council are too busy to take on apprentices, the really old masters are retired, and a few choose not to." Rohan looked like he was about to say more, but just then Iroh entered the room.

"Good morning boys. I'm glad to see you're already awake, Zuko, we must be going soon." Iroh smiled. "The masters are waiting."

* * *

Zuko wondered how Chomolungma was still standing. There were so many vast halls and chambers within the stone giant it seemed the entire mountain was hollow and could collapse under its own weight.

The room he was in at the moment was by far the largest he'd ever seen, large enough to fit half of the royal palace back in the Fire Nation. At the center was a blazing bonfire, and many rings of seats spread outward and up, until Zuko could scarcely see them. Despite the number of the seats however, Zuko noticed that only about a quarter of them were filled.

Tenzin was already waiting for them at the bonfire, along with a woman in her twenties. Two older men, who Zuko assumed must be Saanu and Quan, stood off to the side. "Welcome, Avatar Zuko." The old airbender said gravely. "Normally, a master will choose their apprentice after many months or even years of meditation. However, time is of the essence, and an Avatar traditionally chooses their own master anyways."

Zuko looked at the bonfire. The heat coming off it was incredibly intense, and huge plumes of smoke billowed upward. "I don't mean to be rude, but what exactly is this?"

The young woman spoke. "This is a ceremony called the Meeting of the Spirits. It's a way for students who have not been chosen or apprentices who have lost their masters to find a teacher through a spiritual connecting."

"This is Jinora, the Air Warriors's spiritual guide." Tenzin nodded. "She will guide you through the Meeting of the Spirits."

"Masters Saanu and Quan will demonstrate what you have to do." Jinora gestured to the two men, who took up positions on opposite sides of the bonfire. They bowed deeply, then began to move around the bonfire, making circular motions with their hands. The two masters started slowly, then gradually gained speed until they were almost blurs of gray and white.

As Zuko watched, the smoke rising from the bonfire twisted and turned until shapes began to form. Before his very eyes, the dark clouds morphed into recognizable shapes: an arrow and a scythe. The two masters slowed to a stop, still on opposite sides of the bonfire. They bowed once again and backed away. Zuko frowned. "There's just one problem. I can't airbend at all."

"Oh, this isn't airbending." Jinora smiled serenely. "Your spirit will do the work."

"Follow my movements." Jinora beckoned to Zuko. He took the same position as he'd seen the two masters do, on the opposite side of the bonfire from Jinora. Slowly, she began to move around the fire, making the same circular motions as Saanu and Quan had. Zuko mirrored her movements, keeping opposite the bonfire from the woman. Almost imperceptibly, the two of them picked up speed, although they weren't nearly as fast as Saanu and Quan had been.

Then, quite suddenly, Jinora stopped. Surprised, Zuko stumbled to a halt as well. Jinora was looking at Zuko with a strange smile on her face. He heard whispers around the hall, and noticed that the seated airbenders were pointing at the smoke. He looked up to see the dark clouds in the shape of a young boy flying, arms outstretched.

Tenzin cleared his throat, his eyebrows knit together. "The Avatar's spirit has chosen. Rohan will be Zuko's master."

 **A/N: I'm back! Terribly sorry about the long wait, but final exams pretty much killed me for a couple of weeks, and the first part of winter break I've spent with family. I won't promise regular updates, but hopefully you won't have to wait two months until the next chapter. Merry Christmas!**


	9. The Power of Air

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

Zuko rubbed his temples slowly, his head pounding. His muscles screeched in protest as he got up from his prone position on the ground. Rohan paced back and forth nearby, muttering angrily. The two were in one of the many gigantic chambers of Mt. Chomolungma, stone walls stretching upward into familiar darkness and glowing crystals dotting every surface. When Zuko squinted, the tiny pinpricks of light reminded him of the stars in the night sky.

"Why me? Why me? Why me?"

"I can hear you, you know." Zuko grumbled.

Rohan glared at the Avatar balefully. "Let's try this again. Watch what I do, and follow it." The young airbender turned toward a series of wooden slabs set on central axes. "The rotating gates are the most basic form of training for airbenders. Even you shouldn't have trouble with them." He swept his hand in a wide arc, sending a blast of wind into the wooden slabs, causing them to spin rapidly. Rohan launched himself into the rotating gates, turning into a gray-white blur of motion, nimbly dodging the rattling wood.

Zuko reluctantly followed the young airbender into the rotating gates. But where Rohan was nimble and light on his feet, Zuko felt clumsy and flatfooted by comparison. The wooden doors, though they spun with ease, were incredibly heavy, and each time one struck him, the Avatar felt like another bruise was forming on his already black and blue body. The experience reminded him of the countless times he'd sparred with Swordmaster Piandao while learning how to wield the twin dao blades. Except that time, Zuko had been able to tell that he was improving.

Eventually, Zuko stumbled out of the rotating gates. Rohan was shaking his head in disappointment. "This isn't working. I don't get it, this should be easy for you."

"Are you sure this is the most basic training?" Zuko mumbled as he collapsed to the ground.

"Of course I'm sure!" Rohan shouted. "Every airbender for the last two thousand years started out with the rotating gates."

"But I'm not an airbender." Zuko protested.

"Not yet." Rohan huffed. "But I will teach you how. Practice your circle walking, I'll be right back." The young airbender sped off, propelled by his own wind, leaving Zuko to his own thoughts.

* * *

"-and he can't even make a leaf move! How am I supposed to teach him airbending when he can't bend air?!" Rohan ranted.

"Rohan, this is still a library, regardless of how angry you are." Ikki scolded. "And of how empty it may be." She added ruefully as she looked around to see that no one else besides she and Rohan were among the massive shelves of scrolls.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, sis." Rohan pouted. "I've never taught anyone before. I haven't even learned the thirty-sixth level of airbending."

Ikki chuckled lightly. Even though Rohan was the youngest airbending master in history, and the first to learn how to fly since Guru Laghima, he was still very much a child. "Ro, you probably don't remember, but when you first figured out how to fly, you said that you had to clear your mind."

"I did?"

"Well, not in so many words." As Ikki recalled, Rohan's actual words had been something along the lines of his head being empty like Meelo's made him light enough to float. "But I found something while sorting out these shelves." Ikki pulled out a scroll from the shelves. "Guru Laghima said the same thing, that you had to force all other concerns from your mind and forsake attachment to achieve weightlessness. He's got some other things that might help you teach the Avatar."

Rohan unrolled the scroll and scanned the writing. "Ikki, why do I have to be the one to teach Zuko? It's not fair."

Ikki's smile faded slightly. "Ro, life isn't fair even in the best of times, and we've been at war for over a hundred years. And if you think your role isn't fair, think about Zuko's. He has to fight his own people to bring peace to the world, surely there's a lot on his mind."

Rohan hugged his sister. "Thanks Ikki."

* * *

"You're back already, master?" Zuko asked when Rohan returned to the training chamber.

"Yup... But why the sudden formality?" Rohan was puzzled.

"Ah..." Zuko scratched his head. "It's an old habit. Back home, I called all my teachers master."

Rohan grinned as he fell into a cross legged position on the ground. "Well, if you insist, _my_ apprentice. Now, have a seat."

As Zuko sat down facing him, the young airbender began to speak. "So I'll admit, the rotating gates aren't the most basic form of training. Well it is, but what I'm about to teach you is the new base."

"What?" Zuko looked very confused.

"Close your eyes." Rohan ordered. "Guru Laghima was an airbender who lived centuries ago and mastered the art of flight. In his lifetime, he only took one student, a nonbender by the name of Hezare who wrote down some of Laghima's teachings...

"There are those who will tell you that water, earth, or even fire is the most powerful element of all. They are wrong. It is air that is the most powerful of the four elements. It surrounds all, penetrates all, and sustains all. The wind can snuff out the strongest flame, whip the seas into storms, and erode the hardest stones. Yet, air is the element of the void. It is emptiness, silence, darkness. There is no color, or form in the wind. Your mind must be the same. Let the worries and concerns of the world fall away, as if into the vastness of nothingness. They don't matter to you. You are weightless, a drifting dandelion seed in the wind, floating above all. Now, open your eyes."

Zuko opened his eyes. To his astonishment, he was sitting almost fifty feet in the air! Zuko shouted in fear, sure that he was about to fall, but he remained hanging in empty space.

Rohan sat with his legs crossed several feet away, as unmoving as if he were seated on the stone floor of the cavern rather than thin air. He laughed as he watched the Avatar wave his arms and legs wildly as though he were trying to swim back down to the ground. "Zuko," he called, "Remember, you are a dandelion seed drifting through the air. Be the wind that drives you!"

As Rohan swooped through the cavern effortlessly, Zuko tried to calm himself down. "Okay, okay, I got this." He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. A huge gust of wind blasted out from Zuko's mouth, and he was propelled upward twenty feet! It took several moments until it finally registered to Zuko what had just happened. "I just bent air!"

Below him, the youngest airbending master in history looked upward at his apprentice. "Told you I'd teach ya how." Rohan grinned.

* * *

 **One year later...**

"You're getting slow, master!" Zuko shouted as he sped through the air. His feet skipped across thin wooden poles only inches in diameter. The poles themselves swayed gently, stretching dizzyingly from the ground below. Zuko could just barely see his uncle and a mass of Air Warriors watching from far below. Just a few hundred feet ahead awaited the prize, an orange and yellow pennant.

Just behind him, Rohan sprinted over the wooden poles, hopping nimbly, never remaining in one place for even a second. "Is that so?" The younger boy called. "Watch and learn, my old apprentice." He leapt higher into the air, soaring over to the wall. In a quick motion, Rohan spun into a cartwheel, turning into a whirling gray wheel rolling swiftly along the vertical surface.

Zuko watched as his master and best friend streaked past him. "Showoff." He pushed himself harder, moving faster across the narrow wooden beams until his feet were no longer touching them. Zuko let the thoughts of his own weight, his responsibilities, and the impossibility of what he was about to do fall away from his mind. The wind whipped through his hair, which was now down to his shoulders, as he flew effortlessly to the flag and snatched it from its base.

The Avatar floated down gently as though he were riding a small breeze, brandishing the bright orange and yellow flag. Rohan followed closely behind him, cheering as loudly as the airbenders who had gathered to watch the race. It was the annual autumn equinox festival, which celebrated Avatar Aang's rescuing of the Air Nomads and their rebirth as the Air Warriors, as well as that year's harvest.

A crowd of Air Warriors lifted Zuko onto their shoulders and carried him to the banquet hall for the Equinox Feast. The year's harvest had been especially fruitful, as though the presence of the Avatar had boosted the growth of the crops the airbenders grew on the mountainside. The Air Warriors set down Zuko in front of the table at the head of the room, where the High Council and Iroh were seated. He and everyone else knelt as Tenzin rose to his feet to recite the traditional prayer of the Air Nomads.

"Spirits of all realms, we thank you for this bountiful harvest. We thank you for the safety of our people, and ask that you continue to watch over the worlds now and forevermore. Let the feast begin!"

Zuko and Rohan walked together to the central table where the food was. The delicious aromas wafting through the air made Zuko's mouth water. Gigantic pots of rich vegetable stews and plates piled high with crunchy brown bread and light, fluffy fruit pies sat alongside enormous pastries oozing with cheese and onion gravy and spiced rice cakes. To Zuko's delight, there were even grilled giant mushrooms, which when cooked properly had the taste and texture of a hot peppered steak. He'd grown accustomed to the vegetarian diets of the Air Warriors, but sometimes he missed the meat-heavy cuisine of his native land.

"So, you've finally managed to beat me." Rohan's voice broke through Zuko's food reverie.

"Only thanks to your training, master." Zuko laughed.

"You don't have to call me that anymore, you know." Rohan passed Zuko a plate. "I've taught you everything I know, your training is complete."

"Maybe." Zuko shrugged. "But you still call me your apprentice."

"Former apprentice." Rohan corrected. "Oh, pass me some of that tofu, will you?"

Their plates filled with food, the two friends returned to the front of the banquet hall and sat down at a smaller table near the High Council's table with Meelo and Saanu. As they began to eat however, Rohan nudged Zuko and pointed to an Air Warrior rushing over to the High Table. Unlike the other airbenders in the room, this warrior was fully armed, and also had his sword at his side, though it was sheathed. The warrior whispered to Tenzin, but Rohan and Zuko could hear what he was saying.

"Master Tenzin. Two Fire Nation soldiers were captured on the western slope. They claim to be searching for the Avatar!"


	10. Of Food Fights and Former Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

"Fire Nation soldiers?" Rohan whispered. "Looking for you?"

Zuko frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. Uncle Iroh faked our deaths. The crew of our ship told the Fire Nation that we were dead."

"Sounds like they didn't believe you." Rohan shrugged.

"Trust me." Zuko muttered grimly. "My father would definitely rather that I be dead."

"So why would he send soldiers looking for you? And why only two?" Rohan picked at his tofu salad, appetite forgotten.

"I have no idea." The Avatar murmured. "Only a member of the royal family could order a mission..." He trailed off as he realized the implication of that statement. "Oh no. She didn't..."

"What?" Rohan looked at Zuko with a puzzled expression. "Who?"

"Those two that were captured aren't soldiers!" Zuko exclaimed. "They're... acquaintances... of mine."

"Avatar Zuko."

The two boys whirled around to see Iroh standing behind them. "I see you have deduced the identity of the intruders already."

"Mai and Ty Lee." Zuko nodded.

"Yes." Iroh confirmed. "I have already visited them, but they refuse to speak to anyone but the Avatar."

"So what're we waiting for?" Zuko and Rohan started to get up, but Iroh shook his head.

"Not yet. There is no need to interrupt the festivities on account of a few interlopers. Enjoy the feast for tonight, and tomorrow we will see to Ty Lee and Mai." Iroh snagged a cheesy pastry from Zuko's plate as he walked away.

"Enjoy the feast?" Zuko grumbled. "After hearing that people are searching for me? That's going to be difficult."

"That might not have been just for our benefit." Rohan nodded to the rest of the banquet hall. "We weren't the only ones to notice the guard's arrival." Indeed, there was a distinct sense of unease among the assembled Air Warriors. Few people were smiling or otherwise enjoying themselves, and hushed conversations seemed to be the order of the day.

"Sounds like they need some cheering up." Zuko remarked. A wicked grin spread over his face. "You know, master, there seems to be an excess of fruit pies. It would be a shame if they were to... go to waste."

"Well said, my old apprentice." Rohan agreed. A peach cream pie appeared seemingly out of nowhere in his hand, and he swiftly threw it into Zuko's face.

Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation and would-be master of the four elements, laughed loudly as he returned the favor, hefting two pies like brass cymbals and smashing Rohan's head between them. The rest of the room quickly dissolved into chaos as the Air Warriors began waging war with food. Fruit pies and cheesy pastries flew impossible distances across the room, propelled by blasts of wind. No one was spared, not even the High Council. For once however, Tenzin said nothing.

* * *

"Nervous?" Iroh's question took Zuko off guard. The two were making their way through the cavernous hallways of the mountain fortress, to the deepest levels where an unused room had been converted into a prison cell. As it turned out, the pit that Zuko had been kept in when he first arrived was merely a training area for young airbenders.

"A little." The young man admitted.

Iroh sniffed. "You know, Prince Zuko, it's perfectly normal for a boy to be nervous around a pretty girl-"

"No!" Zuko exclaimed in shock. "It's not that, uncle... it's just... what am I supposed to tell Mai and Ty Lee? Sorry I ran off and disappeared for a year, but everything we've been taught in school is a lie, the Firelord is evil, and the airbenders are gonna keep you locked up forever?"

"Well, I'm sure that they'll be released once the war ends." Iroh began.

"And when will that be?" Zuko moaned. "We've been at war for a hundred years!"

"Zuko." Iroh's tone was firm. "All things come to an end. Even century-long wars. When you speak to Azula's friends, focus on the here and now. Why are they here. What is going on in the Fire Nation. Important news that we cannot gain from the Air Warriors' spies."

Zuko nodded. What his uncle said made sense. The Air Nomads had a network of information gatherers scattered throughout the other three nations. However, it was still incredibly difficult to obtain any information from the Fire Nation. In the year that Zuko had spent at Mt. Chomolungma, the only news that had come from his homeland was that a funeral had been held for him and his uncle, and that Azula had been named Ozai's heir.

"We are here." Iroh's voice broke Zuko out of his reverie. The Avatar looked around to see that they were facing a heavy wooden door, with a similar mechanism as the one that locked the doors to the Great Hall. "This is as far as I go." Iroh continued. "Mai and Ty Lee have said that they will speak only to you."

"Thank you, uncle." Zuko took a deep breath, then expelled it in a rush of wind. At the same time, he spread his arms wide before bringing them forward, sending two more blasts of air from his hands. The three pipes vibrated for a moment, then turned as one, and the door slowly swung open.

Zuko strode into the room, letting the door shut behind him with an ominous thud. It would require the same technique to open again. The room within was brightly lit, though sparsely furnished. Zuko found it morbidly amusing that the girls were better treated than he had been when he first arrived.

"Zuko!" A blur of pink slammed into Zuko, knocking the wind out of him. Ty Lee hugged Zuko tightly. "You're alive!"

"Of course he's alive, Ty Lee. That's why we're here, after all." Mai rose from the wooden stool she had been sitting in.

"Why are you here?" Zuko wondered aloud as he untangled himself from Ty Lee's grip.

"We're here to bring you home." Mai said simply.


	11. The Thirty-Sixth Level of Airbending

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA T.T**

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. These are the four elements. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Firelord attacked, wiping out an entire race and beginning a war that lasted for a hundred years. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements has the power to restore peace, but even he has limits.

* * *

"I know." Zuko bowed his head. "But I can't go home. Not yet."

"We thought you'd say that." Ty Lee replied as she cartwheeled by. "So Mai and I are gonna break us out of here."

"What?" Zuko's head snapped up. "How are you-"

"I managed to pry a hinge from one of the doors." Mai held up a metal bolt. "I can do the same with the others, and we can make our escape then."

"And then we'll go home, and you can be with your family again!" Ty Lee finished.

"Guys, you have it all wrong." Zuko groaned. "I'm not a prisoner."

Ty Lee and Mai exchanged a look, and Zuko heard one of the two girls mumble something about "Zhaquan Syndrome."

"I haven't been brainwashed either!" Zuko shouted. "Look, I didn't want to believe it at first, but we're not the good guys in this war! Think about it, all the history books say that the Airbenders were a barbaric and warlike race that were wiped out because they were building an army. But they're alive, and here! And they didn't kill you! You were captured by them, you know how powerful the Air Warriors are! If they had been an army of them, we would have been the ones wiped out, not them!" He stopped, breathing hard. "Sorry for yelling, but the point is, everything we were taught was wrong. It was all made up to make my great-grandfather and his war seem good."

"Oh, we knew all that, already." Ty Lee shrugged. "Personally, I'm against war on principle, but-"

"What?!" Zuko's eyes just about popped out of his head. "You knew?!"

"Azula told us before she sent us here." Mai looked at her fingernails distastefully; she had broken one while prying out a hinge. "She found out from her father when he made her the heir to his throne."

Somehow, it didn't surprise Zuko that his father would tell Azula but not him. "And how is Azula?"

"Same as ever." Ty Lee giggled. "Sets stuff on fire, shouts a lot, you know."

"She never believed you and Lord Iroh were dead." Mai shook her head at Ty Lee. "I believe her exact words were 'They're dumb, but not dumb enough to get killed on a camping trip.'"

"I'm flattered." Zuko said flatly. "And even knowing the truth, you're still on the Fire Nation's side?"

"It's not always about right and wrong, Zuko." Mai said softly. "Sometimes, duty and honor come first."

"There's no honor in this war." Zuko replied firmly. "And my duty as the Avatar is to all the nations, not just my native one."

"Sounds good to me!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "I'm in!"

Zuko stared at her. "Just like that?"

"I don't much care about civilized duty, or whatever Azula called it-"

"Civic duty." Mai corrected her friend.

"Yeah, that. It's pretty clear to me that Zuko's got a point." Ty Lee did a little cartwheel, nearly kicking Zuko in the head as she passed. "Besides, do you really think the Fire Nation can beat the other three nations and the Avatar?"

"We've managed to do it for a hundred years just fine." Mai crossed her arms, though she sounded unsure.

"Have you though?" Zuko asked. "The Fire Nation hasn't managed to gain much territory beyond the outer edges of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. They didn't even succeed in wiping out the Air Nomads. The world naturally wants balance, and the Firelord is fighting against that. You can't win a fight against the universe itself."

"What choice do I have, Zuko?" Mai replied softly. "My family... everything I know is the Fire Nation."

"There's always a choice." Zuko stepped forward to embrace Mai. "I know it's hard, giving up everything you've ever known for people you've been taught are the enemy. But you're not alone. I made the step, you can too."

* * *

"And you're sure that they can be trusted?" Tenzin's eyebrows were knit together so tightly that they looked like a single long, bushy caterpillar perched above his eyes. "Just like that?"

"On my honor as the Avatar." Zuko nodded. "Most citizens of the Fire Nation do not know the truth about the war. When Ty Lee and Mai found out the truth, they agreed to join me in ending the Firelord's campaign to take over the world."

"Well, if Zuko trusts them, that's good enough for me." Rohan yawned. "I don't mean to be rude Dad, but why am I here?"

Tenzin, Zuko, and Rohan were sitting around a tiny table in a small, cramped room normally used for meditation. Following Zuko's meeting with Tenzin, the High Councilor had summoned both him and Rohan to the room for an emergency meeting.

"Rohan, you said Zuko is ready for the ceremony, yes?" Tenzin sighed.

"Yup! Taught him everything I know." Rohan grinned. "He's a master airbender now."

"Not yet." Tenzin smiled. "There is one thing he, and you have left to learn."

"Wait... You don't mean?" Rohan's face lit up.

"Yes. It is time for the two of you to learn the thirty-sixth level of airbending." Tenzin nodded.

"Hold on." Zuko looked back and forth between his airbending teacher and the leader of the Air Warriors. "I thought you had to be sixteen to learn the thirty-sixth level."

"Yes, but under the circumstances, I believe an exception can be made in your cases." Tenzin rose from his seat. "You are the Avatar, Zuko, and Rohan is the youngest master of airbending in history. Follow me."

Zuko and Rohan hurried to follow the tall bearded man as he glided silently through the halls and stairs of Mt. Chomolungma. As the three of them made their way to the deepest levels of the Air Warriors' home, Tenzin continued to speak.

"As you two know, the first thirty-five levels of airbending are primarily concerned with the movement of the wind around you, as well as manipulation of it into tools and defenses. The thirty-sixth however, is fundamentally different from the rest, in that it is, or rather, was the only attack used by the original Air Nomads."

"So only adults are allowed to learn this level because of tradition?" Zuko asked.

"Not quite." Tenzin shook his head. "Despite the advances the Air Warriors have made in the use of wind as a weapon, as well as the creation of sound bending and rediscovery of flight, the thirty-sixth level remains one of the most difficult and dangerous techniques that an airbender can learn." Tenzin stopped in front of a large door with six funnels set into it. The main gate of the fortress that was Mt. Chomolungma, the door had only been opened twice in the year that Zuko had spent with the Air Warriors. "Ready?" Tenzin nodded to the two boys beside him.

As one, the three of them bent the air outward from the palms of their hands, which they held facing outward from their bodies. The wind rushed through the six funnels, and slowly, the door creaked open.

Tenzin led Zuko and Rohan out the door and to a hidden clearing within the thick forest that surrounded Mt. Chomolungma's eastern side. "Air is all around us, but it is also within us. You know this from your training, from when you learned to expel the breath from your own lungs. But what if I were to tell you that it is possible to use the air trapped within something other than your own body?"

"You mean, like sucking the air out of someone else's lungs?" Zuko shuddered as he remembered the first night he'd spent on Mt. Chomolungma, and how the very oxygen had been ripped from the air around him by the Air Warriors who had found him and Iroh camped on their mountainside.

"Yes, but not just from other living creatures." Tenzin said gravely. "Observe." The older airbender stretched out his hand, and almost immediately, a large boulder the size of Zuko's head lifted up from the ground and began to vibrate. With a violent explosion, the rock shattered into thousands of tiny stone shards. Tenzin swept his hand up quickly, and all the pieces of rock shrapnel that came toward the three were scattered by a large gust of wind. The bits that had gone in the other direction however, shredded the landscape, splintering the bark from thick trees and decimating a number of bushes.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. It's really been a while, huh? Sorry about the long wait, but this story being one of my best AUs created thus far, I didn't want to rush it and compromise my own planning, hence the long months without an update. Don't worry, even if it takes another three or four months for the next chapter to come out, I won't ever abandon this fic. I've put too much time into planning the story of this to do that. Anyways, let's do something different, and talk about my thought processes when writing this chapter.**

 **This chapter in particular was difficult to write, because it was the real introduction of Ty Lee and Mai to Flames of the Past, and I'd like to avoid the shipping wars if possible. I've already had one person ask me not to pair Zuko with the usual suspects, to which I respond by saying that whatever will happen, will happen. This was planned to be an adventure story from the very start, and romance will play a very small part, if it is even present at all.**

 **And then there was also the concept of the thirty-sixth level of airbending, which Aang never had to actually complete thanks to his invention of the air ball. It was always planned for the story to feature Zuko and Rohan learning this level from Tenzin, but I hadn't thought up what exactly this thirty-sixth level would be. In the end, I took some inspiration from Zaheer's murder of that horrible Earth Queen and came up with the technique of stealing air.**

 **Normally, I don't like people trying to tell me what direction my fanfics should go in unless it's specifically done on a request, but a friend of mine told me I ought to listen to my readers more. So, leave a review about whether or not you want to see Rohan and Zuko practice (and spectacularly fail multiple times) stealing air, as well as anything else you want to see in this alternate universe where anything might happen.**


	12. The Monastery

Zuko stared down at the pebble sitting in the palm of his hand. The pebble stared back, unmoving. Well, insofar as an inanimate object without eyes could stare back. It frustrated Zuko, that the stupid little rock wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he concentrated. The most frustrating part was, he didn't even know where to start.

"What's taking so long?" Rohan's voice broke into the older boy's thoughts. "You didn't have any problems blowing things up before."

The former prince sighed. "I was just trying to earthbend. I'll have to learn it eventually." He rose from where he had been sitting, on a fallen tree in the forests surrounding Mt. Chomolungma, and paced agitatedly, the pebble clenched tightly in his fist.

"Only after you master waterbending." Rohan reminded him. "I know you're impatient, but there's probably a reason-"

"And what would that be?" Zuko snapped, suddenly feeling irritated. "The longer I take to master the elements, the longer the war goes on, and the more people die! I know rushing things won't bring back everyone that's died, but if I can stop the fighting..." He tossed the pebble away, watching in silence as his best friend caught it and held it in the air, spinning in the wind.

"I haven't seen you lose your temper like that since you started your training." Rohan remarked dryly. "Something's on your mind."

Zuko wondered sometimes how the younger boy had learned to read him so well after the span of only a year. Back in hom- back in the Fire Nation, only his uncle had understood him well enough to know how to get him to talk when he was feeling moody. "It's Mai and Ty Lee." He said finally. "While I was learning airbending, I was so busy that I didn't have time to think about the war, but them showing up last week reminded me that the world out there is still fighting. I've mastered fire and air, but that's still less than half of what I need to know to be the Avatar."

"You are the Avatar, no matter how many or few elements you have mastered." Rohan let the pebble drop into his own hand. "And if your progress in air is any measure of your standards, you'll master water and earth in no time. As a matter of fact, you've already surpassed me, I'm still having trouble with the thirty-sixth step." The pebble rose up from Rohan's outstretched palm, and vibrated slightly as it hovered in midair, but nothing happened.

"It's not so different from firebending." Zuko admitted. "There's a technique called combustionbending that involves tattooing an eye in the center of your forehead, allowing you to channel chi from there into any object, making it explode. Cramming a lot of heat into a small space quickly enough, and it'll expand just as rapidly."

"And so the student has become the master." Rohan grinned. "Using firebending to help with airbending. Only the Avatar could think of such a thing."

Zuko flushed. "Not necessarily. When I first came here, to this mountain, I wasn't used to the cold yet. Uncle Iroh taught me a way to keep myself warm with nothing more than my breath, without even making a flame. He said it was an airbending technique, though he didn't say how he learned it."

"It must have been the White Lotus. You meet a lot of interesting people through that organization."

A thought struck Zuko. "Rohan, are you a part of the White Lotus?"

To his surprise, the airbender laughed. "Nah, I'm no good at Pai Sho. It's too fancy for me. I like to throw pies at people's heads, not sit and move little wooden tiles around a board. Still, it's interesting what you can learn from people of the other nations, especially like the tattoo thing you told me about."

"Well, why don't you come with me?" Zuko said seriously. "I'll have to move on soon, to find someone among the Water Tribes to teach me waterbending. Uncle Iroh and I could probably handle ourselves, but we'll need all the help we can get, and you'd be able to see the world."

"Just like the Air Nomads of old." Rohan smiled. "Perhaps, but only once I can get this last technique. I'm not a master until I do, and we still have to travel to the monastery at the top of the mountain after this."

* * *

It is commonly believed that there were but four Air Temples around the world, where the Air Nomads resided when they were not traveling around the other nations. However, these were but the largest and most well built of the airbenders' structures. Every nation had their secrets, and the Air Nomads had constructed smaller monasteries scattered across the globe.

Mt. Chomolungma was technically under the dominion of the Earth King, though it really held no value to the Kingdom. As impressive as the title of the tallest mountain was, it was more valuable as a part of the Myahar mountains, which themselves only served as a barrier between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. So it had been easy for the Air Nomads of past generations to construct a monastery at the peak of Mt. Chomolungma.

In the years following the Fire Nation's attack on the Air Nomads, Avatar Aang had led the remaining airbenders to this particular temple, as it was the safest location for the hunted people. At that height, only those with control over the winds could breathe properly, and sustaining fire would have been difficult at best. The tunnels that the Air Warriors of the present lived in were carved out over the course of decades, first by Aang using earthbending, and later by the warriors themselves. The monastery was a secure location, but not suitable for an entire nation of people to live in, and had since been returned to the state it had been prior to the Hundred Years' War. On occasion however, an apprentice Air Warrior would undertake their final test, climbing the entire mountain to reach the original monastery at its greatest height.

It was this test that Zuko and Rohan were going through now, inching their way up the side of Mt. Chomolungma. The two had left behind the forests far below, having passed even the coniferous trees that survived beyond their deciduous cousins. Here, there was nothing but icy rocks and massive snowdrifts, with no vegetation to be found. Were it not for their training, the two boys would have surely frozen to death before they had a chance to asphyxiate in the thin air of the upper atmosphere. As it was, they had enough difficulty scaling the frozen cliffs.

"Can't we do anything about this wind?" Zuko grumbled as the howling gale threatened to pluck him from the side of the mountain. He'd survive, he and Rohan had already been thrown off several times only to land as light as a feather. One of having mastery over the air. Even so, it was annoying to lose progress so.

"Apparently not." Rohan replied, his voice carrying easily to Zuko's ears despite the wind. Sound bending made shouting almost unnecessary, though it also tended to distort the speaker's voice. "I'm having trouble just keeping the air around us thick enough to breathe."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too." Zuko groaned as he heaved himself over the top of the cliff, shaking out his tired muscles. "I don't get it, if the air's so thin, why is the wind so powerful?"

"The older monks say-" Rohan was cut off momentarily by a particularly strong gust of wind. "They say that the peak of Mt. Chomolungma penetrates into the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds, and that's why bending is so hard up here. Because we're close to the spirit world."

"And the wind?"

"Only seems so powerful because we can't control it." Rohan sighed as he gazed upward. There was still no sign of the monastery. "C'mon, let's keep going."

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon since the two boys had set out upon their journey, and the sky was filled with hundreds of thousands of glittering stars. The half-moon shone down a dim light, and Zuko wondered idly if the moon had a spirit. He'd learned during his time among the Air Warriors that most things had spirits, though few were important or large enough to have any significance. The Avatar figured that, if anything were large enough to have a spirit, it was probably the moon.

"Look!" Rohan shouted suddenly, and Zuko followed the direction of his friend's pointing finger. Just a hundred feet above them sat a series of slender stone towers. It wasn't as grand or majestic as the main temples that Zuko had seen in pictures, the stone structures were close to collapsing, in fact, but it was unmistakably an Air Nomad building. Bolstered by the sight of their goal, the two boys doubled their efforts, ignoring the winds that pulled at them with even greater intensity. Before long, they had reached the peak of Mt. Chomolungma, the world's highest mountain.

Rohan and Zuko stood side by side as they stared at the yawning void of the monastery's entrance. "Age before beauty." Rohan finally broke the silence, motioning for Zuko to enter the ancient building first.

"Pearls before swine." Zuko rolled his eyes as he led the way into the monastery. The inside was pitch black, and he tried to muster up a fireball in his hand. To his dismay, the best he could manage was a tiny flame, almost like a candle. Zuko wondered how the old Air Nomads had ever found their way around this place at night. No wonder it had been abandoned.

The two boys picked their way through the old ruins, sidestepping huge blocks of stone that had fallen out of the ceiling, letting beams of moonlight shine through. "Any idea what we're looking for?" Zuko asked.

Rohan shook his head. "No, Dad said our final test was getting to the monastery. He didn't say anything else."

Zuko laughed as the two of them came to an open courtyard, where the sky shone above in all its brilliance. "Maybe we got here earlier than expected. After all, I am the Avatar, and you're the youngest airbending master to ever live."

Rohan opened his mouth to answer when he was interrupted by Tenzin's disembodied voice. "Oh no, we've been waiting for quite some time."

Zuko and Rohan whirled around to see the older airbender standing behind them. Neither of them had even heard him approach. His grey-white robes had allowed him to blend in almost perfectly with the snow-covered stones of the courtyard. _Wait, 'we'?_ It dawned on Zuko that there were others with them in the courtyard. Jinora, the rest of the High Council, even Iroh were all gathered, dressed in the same grey-white robes.

"Congratulations, Rohan, Zuko." Tenzin spoke. "The time has come for you to be recognized as Warriors in full, and masters of airbending. Now, kneel."

Rohan sank down to one knee, and Zuko followed his example. From the folds of his robes, Tenzin produced a brightly polished sword that glittered in the starlight. The blade had a series of holes of different sizes drilled through it. Zuko had learned that each Air Warrior's sword had a unique pattern of holes, and every blade produced a different sound.

Tenzin gently tapped the flat side of his sword against each boy's shoulder. "The two of you have completed the thirty-six steps of airbending and are accomplished in all the ways of the Air Warriors. Your training is complete. Now, rise."

Slowly, Zuko got to his feet, dimly aware of Rohan doing the same beside him. He could scarcely believe it. He had mastered airbending!

"Congratulations, Zuko." Iroh strode forward, holding a long object wrapped in cloth. "I'm very proud of you."

Zuko grinned. "Thank you, Uncle." He said, and he really meant it. He took the object that Iroh held out to him. "What's this?"

"A gift." Jinora answered. "Go ahead, open it."

Zuko unwound the cloth to reveal a familiar pair of swords in a scabbard. "My dao blades?" He looked at Iroh in confusion.

"Draw the blades." Tenzin's eyes twinkled.

To Zuko's surprise, the twin blades had been altered, with an identical pattern of holes cut into the steel. And yet, the swords were still perfectly balanced. As he swung them gently through the night air, the blades produced a deep whistling sound, and he grinned. Zuko knew that it would not have been easy for a swordsmith to bore holes through a finished sword, let alone fix the balance of the blade and hilt as well. It truly was a mark of how much the Air Warriors honored him, that they would go to so much effort for him. "Thank you."

"Would we that you would never have occasion to use them." One of the High Council spoke. "But it is perilous times we live in, Avatar Zuko, and you will likely need them in the days to come."

A grave silence fell over the group, one that was broken by Rohan. "So, do I get two swords as well? Cause I'm just fine with one. Two feels like overcompensating."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh at his best friend. Perilous times indeed, but as long as he had these people on his side, he didn't mind facing the future so much.

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 **A/N: So... it's been a while, huh? I stand by what I said in my last note though. Even if it takes another year to write the next chapter, I'm not abandoning this story. I'll finish this even if it takes years and no one is reading anymore. That being said, thanks to everyone who's stuck through thus far. If you can believe it, this is actually the last chapter of the first part of Avatar Zuko's story. Think of it like a season finale.**

 **I know ATLA and LOK usually end their seasons with some final climatic battle, but admittedly, that doesn't make as much sense in the context of this story. After all, with the exception of Mai, Ty Lee, Iroh, and Zuko, no one from the Fire Nation is aware that the Air Warriors are living in Mt. Chomolungma. Yes, the war is still raging in the rest of the world, but so far our main cast hasn't seen much of it. Even Zuko, with all his angst about having to end the war as soon as possible doesn't know what that's really like.**

 **That will change with the next part of the story. Zuko needs to continue his quest to master all four elements, and we need to meet some more familiar faces in this alternate universe. Y'all know who I'm talking about.**


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